rlibkind

Mount Laurel store opens this Sunday at 7 a.m. Cherry Hill tentatively scheduled for June 11.

Have you ever had the good fortune to try these wines? How do they compare with European or Australian wines? What are your favorite New York state wines? ← The rieslings I've tried are excellent. The other premiere NY producer of rieslings (and my fav) is Hermann J. Wiemer. His Dry Johannisberg Riesling is my "go to" white, and the reserve is even better. I'm fortunate that I obtained, during a winery trip six years ago a 375ml bottle of trockenbeernauslese, which hasn't been produced since then, though he has produced an ice wine consistently. As for a comparison with European and Australian rieslings, I'm rather indiscriminant -- I've yet to meet a riesling I didn't like. But, the Wiemer in particular, most resembles a Moselle, and I find the best of the NY State rieslings superior to those from the Pacific NW and the very few Australians I've tasted (I'm quite ready and open to trying more from Oz, however). The shores of Keuka and Seneca (and even Cauyga) offer a most compatible terrain for grapes favoring cooler climes.

This morning, when I asked Harry Ochs of Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market what cut of meat he thought of when I used the word "deckel" his immediate response was the fatty part of the Brisket. When I then mentioned some folks used that term for the fattier portion around a rib steak/roast, he acknowledged that that part is called the deckel, too.

It just didn't seem right that Tommy DiNic (or most other roast port sandwich purveyors) would use pork shoulder: the bone structure would require serious labor, a lot of fat to drain off, etc. A delicious part of the pig, but not conducive to a high-volume sandwich operation. So, this morning I put it directly to Tommy DiNicosia, proprietor. The answer: Fresh ham. Easy to slice and serve on sandwiches. He uses shoulder for the bbq sandwiches, since it's just a matter of shredding, not slicing. For those whose enjoyment of the pork sandwich messages has been vicarious, here's a photo of DiNic's: Tommy DiNic's As to veal shanks, yes, mrbigjas, Martin's had them today, at $12.99/pound. At Iovine's, my bellwether bell pepper price survey: greens and reds 99 cents, oranges $1.49, yellows $1.99. Florida strawberries (packed in S.C.) $1 for a pound clamshell. Kumquats down to $3.99/pound. New to the vacuum-sealed racks: minced garlic in olive oil ($1 for maybe three tablespoons' worth), whole roasted garlic cloves done with olive olive ($5.99/pound). Navel oranges up to 3/$1, Meyers lemons to 2/$1. Also new this week: cactus pears, a.k.a. prickly pears, $1 apiece; makes great base for margaritas. Slightly large scallions were 3/$1. I didn't spot much new at the fish and meat purveyors, though Golden, I believe, had filet of bronzino for $9.99 (whole fish $6.99). At John Yi, Boston mackeral $1.49, Spanish $1.99. Related to the deckel thread: I asked Harry Ochs what cut he thought of when I said "deckel". His iimmediate response was the fatty art of the brisket, but when I told him some people were referring to the fatty part around a rib roast/steak, he said, yes, that, too, is called deckel. My guess is we're still three or four weeks away from the earliest of the spring produce, i.e., ramps, morels (the ones Iovine's have now seem just a tad on the hard/dry side), etc.

Not so. Classic bagel recipes call for a form of sugar, malt syrup, in the boiling water, and sometimes for a small amount in the dough as well. The syrup in the water helps create the thin glossy sheen so admired in a properly made water bagel.

No preserved lemons at the RTM that I'm aware of. As for osso bucco, I'm quite sure Harry Ochs has them. But I'd recommend calling to check and/or have them set it aside: 215 922-0303.

A rib eye doesn't include the deckle; it's just the un-fatty part (eye) of the rib steak. A rib steak, with or without bone, does include the deckle.

In my review of cheeses recently purchased at the RTM I forgot to mention Nokkelost. This is a Norwegian cheese and, like most Norwegian cheeses (the exception being Jarlsberg) it's very strange. It's a rather plain semi-soft cheese flavored with carraway, cumin and clove. Spicy, indeed. Just don't bite into the whole clove. Nokkelost is stocked by Downtown Cheese along with two other Norwegian cheeses, Gjetost and Ekte Gjetost. These two cheeses are almost the same: brown and sweet, and both are made from the whey leftover from the cheese-making process. The difference between the two: Ekta Gjetost (the original) is made from goat milk, Gjetost from a mix of cow and goat milk. It's actually not bad as a breakfast cheese or a dessert cheese; just don't expect any nuance. Admittedly, it is difficult to comprehend a cheese that tastes more of caramel than the normal earthier tastes we associate with cheese. You actually can find regular Gjetost (occasionally) at a normal supermarket.

With the Philadelphia Flower Show in full swing, a number of RTM merchants will be open Sunday, though forget about buying from a butcher or a fishmonger. Vegetarians, however, are in luck since Iovine's will be open. Also during Flower Show week, two vendors have set up additional, temporary stands. Where Caviar Assouline once stood there's now a temporary caffeine dispensary operated by Old City Coffee. And over by center court, in the space formerly occupied by the Sandwich Stand (and soon to become Spataro's new home), the Pennsylvania General Store is offering cookies, chocolates, candies and many floral-themed items. As of Saturday morning Iovine's had a full skid of small navel oranges selling at 10 for a dollar. These are the same oranges that had been selling as five for a buck; Jimmy Iovine said he has to get rid of these oranges, hence the price, but the next skid will be back up to the 20-cent apiece price. Bell peppers were a bargain again, with reds, greens and yellows at 99 cents, orange peppers at $1.49. Kumquats could be found near the mushrooms, wrapped on trays at $4.49/pound. Large bags of end-of-season clementines priced at $4.99. Shelled peas (tray packed) were $1.49 for what looked to be 2 or 3 servings' worth. White seedless grapes 99-cents/pound. New to the prepared veggie aisle: grated horseradish. More changes brewing at Iovines. Under their new lease, they now have the right to sell dairy products, so expect to see milk in new refrigerated cases to be installed against the office wall. Exceedingly large porgies at John Yi's for $2.99. Europeans know this fish as a bream (which is what it is) and it's a sweet-fleshed creature with an easy-to-deal-with bone structure. I was introduced to it many years ago at South Street Souvlaki where it was simply grilled with some olive oil and lemon juice. Also back at John Yi's, sardines at $2.99/pound, matching the price at Golden Seafood. Lately I've been making my own fish salads (usually from some smoked fish, sometimes mixed with unsmoked, i.e., hot-smoked salmon mixed with canned salmon, or cold smoked salmon trimmings with cooked fresh salmon filet, and appropriate condiments and a little yogurt in place of mayo). But what to spread it on? Well, Downtown Cheese has an excellent "party pumpernickel". The small sized slices (about 2x2 inch) make an excellent base for hor d'oeurves. $1.69 for a pack. The cheeses offered by Downtown Cheese and Salumeria are well worth investigating. Tonight I finished some Point Reyes Blue from California that was a pluperfect blue. But, then again, I've hardly ever met a blue I didn't like. The week before I polished off some English Wensleydale which has a slightly bitter but very pleasant aftertaste; both of these came from Downtown. Over at Salumeria a couple of weeks ago I purchased a very enjoyable Lancashire, another English cheese; this particular one was delicately crumbly, though other Lancashires can be firmer. And don't forget Green Valley Dairy, whose cheddars (try Claudia or Noble) and new brie can be obtained at Fair Food Farmstand or, on most Saturdays, directly from the producer. Carolyn Wyman, whose books ("Better Than Homemade", "Spam: A Biography" and "Jello: A Biography") tend to focus on industrial food, is now leading walking tours of the RTM every Wednesday and Saturday at 10 a.m. Cost is $14.95 for adults and $8.95 for children 7-11. There will be extra tours in conjunction with The Book and the Cook. No reservations, but you can get more info by calling 215 545-8007.

I had a 10 minute wait when I tried them in January and thought it was an aberration. But in watching them the problem didn't seem to be the staff; they handed him the orders quickly, and when the sandwiches were ready matched them up with drinks, etc., quickly. The problem appeared to be Carmen -- he was simply slow. Meticulous, but slow.

Pokeweed is a very common plant which, though largely poisonous, can be consumed if one is careful about which parts one consumes and at what stage. The shoots are edible before they reach a certain stage of maturity, and Sam grows them in his root cellar and harvests them when they are safe to eat. Also known as poke salet.

Extended hours at the RTM during the Flower show (see schedule below). But be wary; especially on weekends the RTM will get a lot of extra traffic. As for the merchants, obviously the Amish stands won't be open on Sunday, nor on Monday and Tuesday when they are usually shuttered. Also, not all merchants will stay open as late as the market itself: those most likely to put in the full hours will be the vendors selling for on-premises consumption, and not even all of them. RTM Extended Hours Sunday, March 5: 8am to 6pm Monday, March 6: 8am to 7pm Tuesday, March 7: 8am to 7pm Wednesday, March 8: 8am to 7pm Thursday, March 9: 8am to 7pm Friday, March 10: 8am to 7pm Saturday, March 11: 8am to 7pm Sunday, March 12: 8am to 6pm Note: Although not a "public" day, Saturday, March 4, is members' preview, so there will be a lot of traffic then, too. There will also be a paucity of parking, and unless you use the RTM's two-hour system you are likely to be goughed. Even the RTM parking at the Parkway will be in scarce supply when the Flower show doors are open.

Olive Oyl?

In kasha, you can use a little bit of oil to coat the groats to their roasty toasty state; or just roll them around in a hot pan 'til they're toasted - the egg and/or oil isn't absolutely necessary, though I find it's better with either than none.

Skirlie is a traditional Scottish accompaniment to birds and meat. Basically it's onions softened in the fat of your choice (beef suet is ideal, but any fat will do), then combined with oatmeal, salt and pepper, perhaps a little stock. One skirlie recipe I've seen calls for two cups each of oatmeal and finely chopped onion, four ounces each of suet and "good dripping", salt and pepper. The absorption of the fats over the course of five or eight minutes of cooking is sufficient -- no liquids needed.

Since I don't get to the RTM much on Saturdays, trying to avoid the crowds, I was delighted to see Earl Livengood there late this afternoon. Earl said he's been there continuously, but that he'll probably take a few weeks off now. I picked up rutabagas and tiny potatoes; he also had chestnuts, other kinds of potatoes, and what he said will be the last spinach for a while. He also had poke, which neighbor Sam Consylman grows in his cellar. Onions, asparagus and radishes, among others, should start popping up in late April. At Iovine's, cranberry beans were back (at $1.99). Vinnie Iovine said that with their new vacuum sealing machine they plan to expand the "value added" prepared veggie offerings.

The cream of mushroom at Friday, Saturday, Sunday is still a winner.

First of all, thanks for the report. Great to hear of this worthy additon to the Rail & Harbor City's (yes, that's Elizabeth's official nickname) culinary outposts. Second, I don't know if it was just a local thing or more widely spread in NJ, but birch beer was one of the chasers of choice to whiskey in the grittier bars in Elizabeth when I was growing up in the 1950 and early 1960s (I only know this because I used to accompany my Dad when he repaired refrigeration systems in various bars all over town.)

I'll leave it to others who are more conversant than me with the current scene there for specific recommendations, but one of the Portuguese spots in Ironbound (the Newark neighborhood closest to both downtown and the airport) should work.

Once again, the Iovines have altered the layout of their produce aisles: Above is the view looking toward west. The dried fruit and nuts alcove is now where the mushrooms and citrus specials were. Above is the view looking toward the corner door on Filbert Street. The new layout has, for all practical purposes, created another aisle. This also entailed removing the racks along the wall by the Iovine's office (same side of aisle as A.A. Halteman). The net result has been to reposition the solitary checkout that used to be opposite the office to the front of the store with the other checkouts, because the bins holding special sale items have been removed from that position and moved elsewhere. As to this week's produce at Iovine's, the best deal appeared to be the key lines: $1 for three one-pound packs. If you feel like squeezing a bunch of these tiny fruits, invite me over for pie. Another citrus deal: the navel oranges are reduced to five for a buck; these are the same smallish but nicely sweet fruits offered at 4/$1 recently. Also, trayed button mushrooms (or sliced) for $1; weighing out at 3/4 pound, this translates to about $1.33/pound vs. regular price of $1.99. Cranberry beans have disappeared. Plenty of Meyers lemons available (same 3/$1 price). Limes continue to escalate this week they were 50-cents apiece; that's still better than the three for $2 price I saw at the Cherry Hill Shop Rite. Large Spanish mackerel (but no Boston) at John Yi's priced at $2.49, iirc. The good-looking sardines at Golden sell for $2.99. However, Yi's will dress the mackerel at that price; Golden charges a buck extra a pound to prep the sardines (which is easily done at home). Flying Monkey Patisserie is awaiting City Health Department approval of its construction plans (they oversee everything down to the type of grout used in the tile) but hopes for an opening sometime in March. At today's birthday celebration of the RTM (it's 114th), Flying Monkey provided the birthday cake and a few other goodies for tasting. I tried the birthday cake, a very nice chocolate layer affair (not flourless, thank you) with just a touch of some berry liqueur to add another dimension. No visible construction yet on the Le Bus and Spataro moves to new locations.

You are going to drink some Irn Bru with that?

I tried 'em once, but don't get it. The difference between Meyers and conventional, to me, is that Meyers don't have nearly the acidity. So, if it's just lemon flavor you want but not the acidity, then I guess Meyers are what you want; perhaps it might be best eaten out of hand or in a drink. According to some web research I undertook prompted by your question, it appears to be a cross between lemon and either tangerine or orange -- not unlike the clementine, which I understand is also a lemon cross.

What! You passed up the sardines!

Chesterfield Ale by Yuengling. My go-to cheap beer at home. Learned about it from a high-volume beer drinking British ex-pat.

It's the doldrums of winter at the RTM, which spurred the creation of its "American Roots" festival a few years ago, and which will provide music and rutabaga tomorrow, Feb. 18. Alas, the signs of spring are far and few between, other than the shad at the fishmongers. Somehow, Iovines has gotten hold of decent beans: green string beans at $1.29, cranberry beans at $0.99, and yellow wax and flat green beans at $1.49. Not many price changes this week, though red and green peppers now both up to $1.49, and Temple oranges have gone to 3/$1 from 4/$1. Featured this week, mango at a buck apiece. Likewise, stable pricing and varieties at all three fishmongers though, at least this morning, there was a scarcity of mackerel at John Yi's.